You've probably heard of Silicon Valley as a hub for technology start-ups Apple, Facebook and Google.
Now, shoe-start up Atoms, has found its feet in the region.
Atoms' founders, husband and wife Waqas and Sidra Ali, conducted extensive research to discover that 70% of people have at least a quarter size difference in their feet. This knowledge formed a guiding principle for the business.
To have the budget to make quarter sizes, the pair decided to create a single unisex design in two colours: black and white.
The shoes don't boast any logos; have copper threads that eat bacteria on the inside; elastic laces to allow for slipping in and out without having to tie them; and, the sizing can be personalised.
Atoms will send customers the surrounding quarter-sizes based on the one they choose. Customers can then try on the different sizes and choose the ones that fit – even if they're different on different feet – and send the rest back. Customers can also get a discount on the $179 price tag when they send their old pair back to the company for analysis when purchasing a new pair.
“We perfected Atoms for your everyday routine – walking, standing and commuting,” Waqas Ali told TechCrunch.
The Kickstarter campaign for the business raised $560,000 in funding from LinkedIn's former head of growth Aatif Awan and Shrug Capital, and 4000 people have signed up to the Atoms waitlist to be the first in line to receive their pair in late June/early July (in the US).
Now, Atoms is working on an insole pattern that wears off depending on where the weight is, allowing the company to create a better shoe.
In the future, the business wants to completely personalise the shoe to the customer, moulding insole's based off the worn areas of the previous pair.
“There’s no way to hack shoes,” Waqas said. “You just have to make a good shoe.”